The Internship

Transition from Classroom to Professional

A recreation and leisure services education program is judged by the level of performance its graduates are perceived to have attained. While a thorough knowledge in a variety of areas is essential in the preparation of the competent entry-level recreation professional in leisure service delivery positions, it provides only the basis upon which the individual will function professionally.

The application of the generalist recreation education process can take place only in real life situations. It is essential that the internship provide an opportunity to personalize the knowledge in a practical environment. To facilitate this goal, a 400 hour internship experience is mandated and is an integral part of the recreation administration curriculum at the University of Mississippi.

It is intended that the knowledge obtained in the classroom and previous selected practical experiences will be utilized during the internship experience. The major purpose of the internship is to provide the student opportunities to apply and personalize this broad knowledge base.

At the completion of the internship, the student should be able to function as a competent entry-level recreation professional.

The student, the agency, and the University all benefit from this experience as practitioner-professionals and University faculty work together to provide worthwhile experiential opportunities for students. Every leisure delivery professional should be interested in the recruitment and professional preparation of talented young people. The internship, therefore, makes a valuable contribution to the preparation of tomorrow s leaders in recreation and leisure services.

The Internship manual delineates the philosophy and objectives of the internship, the policies and procedures, forms records, and reports to be submitted.

*The following courses (14 hours) must be completed prior to the Internship: RA 194, 200, 302, 391, 392, and 471. Have an overall G.P.A. of 2.0 with a 2.5 G.P.A. in the professional core in Recreation Administration.

*The following items must be completed, verified and on file with the Recreation Administration faculty advisor prior to beginning the internship experience.

Signed Agreement by on-site internship supervisor, student, and faculty advisor.

Current copy of students CPR/First Aid certification cards (front and back). The certifications must be valid until the end of the students internship.

Complete pre-internship competency exam with acceptable score.

*Internship site selection:

The site selected for visitation may be identified through consultation with your advisor.

The agency selected should be appropriate to an area of pre-professional interest.

Student advisors have the authority to accept or reject the student’s choice for the internship.